Weft compactor for circular weaving machine

ABSTRACT

A FABRIC COMPACTOR FOR USE IN COMBINATION WITH A THREE-DIMENSIONAL WEAVING MACHINING IS ADAPTANBLE FOR PACKING FILLING YARNS IN A SHED, THE SHED BEING ANNULARLY ARRANGED ABOUT AN AXIS.

NOV. 2, 1973 EMERSON ET AL 3,616,821

WEFT COMPACTOR FOR CIRCULAR WEAVING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 31, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Nov. 2, 1971 P. D. EMERSON ET AL 3,616,821

WEFT COMPACTOR FOR CIRCULAR WEAVING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 31, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 NOV. 2, 1971 p EMERSON ET AL 3,616,821

WEFT GOMPACTOR FOR CIRCULAR WEAVING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 31. 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG.6

United States Patent 3,616,821 WEFT COMPACTOR FOR CIRCULAR WEAVING MACHINE Paul D. Emerson, 4512 Pamlico, Raleigh, N.C. 27609;

S. Jack Davis, 402 Clayton Road, Chapel Hill, N.C. 27514; John C. Oatfield, 213 E. Dowell Drive; and Fred H. Engelman, Pamlico Drive, both of Cary, N.C. 27511; and Charles E. Bartee, Alston Avenue Road, Durham, N.C. 27703 Original application Dec. 31, 1968, Ser. No. 793,921.

Divided and this application Dec. 8, 1969, Ser.

Int. Cl. D03d 37/00 U.S. Cl. 139-13 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A fabric compactor for use in combination with a three-dimensional weaving machine is adaptable for packing filling yarns in a shed, the shed being annularly arranged about an axis.

This application is a division of application S.N. 793,921, filed Dec. 31, 1968.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates to means for packing filling yarn in a shed and, more specifically, to a filling yarn compactor which travels on an annular track and which is provided with a retractable bladed impactor for packing filling yarns in an annular shed.

An object of the invention is to provide a fabric compactor for a circular type weaving machine, the fabric compactor being adapted to compact the filling yarns into the body of the fabric.

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary section view showing the alternating arrangement of the filling yarn inserters and the fabric compactors about the mandrel;

FIG. 2 is a section taken along 22 of FIG. 1 showing a filling yarn inserter and a fabric compactor respectively operating to lay in a filling yarn in the shed and to compact the yarn into the fabric;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary section view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2 showing in plan the arrangement of the fabric compactor drive gears which are mounted on the main drive gear support in meshing engagement with the main drive gear;

FIG. 4 is a partial section perspective view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 1 depicting the relationship of a reed switch to its actuating means;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the fabric compactor in an extended position;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the fabric compactor showing the same in a retracted position;

FIG. 7 is a section view taken along line 77 of FIG. 5 showing the fabric compactor secured to the main drive gear which in turn is rotatably mounted on the main drive gear support.

FILLING YARN INSERTER DRIVE MECHANISM In reference to FIG. 2, a plurality of support rods 150 are substantially equidistantly spaced about the vertical axis of the apparatus and support the main drive gear support 152. The main drive gear support 152 is provided with a plurality of concentrically arranged grooves 153 which are adapted to receive the bearing balls 154 which comprise in alternating sequence hardened steel balls and non-metallic spacer balls. The plurality of balls 154 rollably receive the main drive gear 155 which is annular in shape and which is adapted for rotation about the vertical axis of the apparatus by means of the balls 154 and grooves 153. The main drive gear support 152 has secured thereto a plurality of vertical gear supports 157, the gear supports 157 being affixed thereto by means of the screws 158 or the like. The gear supports 157 are spaced substantially equidistantly about the periphery of the main drive gear support 152 and are adapted to accommodate a gear shaft 160. Additionally the vertical gear supports are provided with the throughbore 716 to accommodate the drive shaft 166.

Each of the gear supports 157 is provided with the plain bearings 162 and 163 for rotatably mounting the shaft 160 and the gears 164 and 165 which are aflixed to the end thereof as by pinning or the like.

The main drive gear is rotated about its axis by means of a shaft which is connected directly to a given gear shaft 160. It is necessary only to drive one of such gear shafts since the rotation of that gear shaft drives the main drive gear 155 which in turn rotates the remainder of the gear shafts by means of the meshing engagement between the main drive gear 155 and the gears 165. Thus, it can be seen that as the gear is rotated by its engagement with the main drive gear 155, the gear 164 is also rotated in the same direction since the gears 164 and 165 are mounted on a common shaft.

FABIRIC COMPACTOR A fabric compactor 250 is generally shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7. As shown in FIG. 1. four fabric compactors 250 are depicted as it is generally desirable to have the same number of fabric compactors as there are filling yarn inserters.

The fabric compactor 250 is provided with telescopic motion whereby it is adapted to follow the contour of substantially any mandrel configuration and is mounted securely to the main drive gear 155 by means of the plurality of screws 254. Thus, the compactor 250 moves in a circular orbit about the vertical axis of the apparatus with the movement of the main drive gear 155. The fabric compactor 250 is comprised of an impactor slide 251 which in turn is slidably mounted to the slide carrier 253. The intermediate slide 252 is provided with a grooved channel 255 which is adapted to slidably receive the impactor slide 251 by means of the plurality of balls 256 to provide for substantially frictionless movement thereof. The intermediate slide 252 is likewise slidably mounted to the slide carrier 253 by means of the grooved channel 257, the plurality of balls 258 and the positionable gib 269 which is provided to enable adjusting the clearance of the balls with the channel 257 grooves. The gib 269 is securely fixed to the base carrier 253 by means of screws 279.

The impactor slide 251 is provided with the upwardly extending arm 259 which mounts for rotation the bladed impactor 260 by means of the cam roller bearing shaft 261. As shown in FIG. 2, the bladed impactor 260 resides beneath the as woven fabric and exerts an upward force thereupon whereby the yarns are compacted into the fabric to increase the density thereof. The surface 262 of the bladed impactor 260 is provided with a smooth surface since it maintains rubbing contact with the mandrel surface during weaving.

The telescopic motion of the intermediate slide 252 in the extended direction is effected by means of the spring loaded reel 249. The reel 249 is comprised of a spool 263, a recoil spring (not shown) and a flexible wire cable 264 which is wound about the spool 263. The spool 263 is mounted for rotation by means of the vertical shaft 277 which is affixed to the reel base plate 265. The base plate 265 is affixed to the slide carrier 253. The flexible wire cable 264 is withdrawn from the spool 263 under tension and is passed through the guide 266 and around the pulley 267 which is mounted for rotation by means of shaft 268 aflixed to the movable gib 269 of the slide carrier 253. The end of the wire cable 264 is securely connected to the intermediate slide 252 by means of the threaded post 278.

The impactor slide 251 is simultaneously actuated in the extending direction with the intermediate slide 252 by means of the sprockets 270 and 271 and the chain 272. The sprockets 270 and 271 are respectively mounted for rotation by means of shafts 273 and 274 which in turn are mounted to the intermediate slide 252. The chain 272 is secured by means of the pins 275 and 276 to the carrier slide 253 and the impactor slide 251 respectively whereby the motion of the intermediate slide 252 by the tensioned wire cable 264 is translated to the impactor slide 251 through the motion of the chain 272.

The fabric compactor 250 is adapted for retraction by providing a slightly greater force at the impactor 260 then is provided by the spring loaded reel 249. Thus the fabric compactor 250 will maintain contact with and follow the contour of a mandrel having a substantially continuously increasing or decreasing diameter.

To provide a degree of rigidity to a plurality of fabric compactors 250 the support ring 246 is securely fastened to each compactor and moves therewith about the vertical axis of the apparatus.

The utilization of less than two fabric compactors during weaving would obviate the use of the support ring 246.

We claim:

1. A fabric compactor comprising a base plate, said base plate defining a track, a slide plate being slidably mounted in said base plate track, means mounted on said base plate and connected to said slide plate for moving said slide plate relative to said base plate and a bladed impactor rotatably mounted on the outer end of said slide plate.

2. The fabric compactor of claim 1 wherein said slide plate is comprised of an elongated element a portion of which is slidably mounted in said base plate track and a vertical element rigidly connected to said outer end of said elongated element adapted to rotatably receive said bladed impactor on a surface facing away from said base plate.

3. The fabric compactor of claim 2 wherein said bladed impactor is comprised of a hub having an axis of rotation, a plurality of blades connected to extend outwardly from said hub and being radially arranged with said axis of rotation, said hub being rotatably mounted to said surface of said vertical element facing away from said base plate.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,723,426 8/1929 Jones 139-l5 2,506,442 5/1950 Cooper 139l3 2,582,392 1/1952 Pelce 139-13 HENRY S. JAUDON, Primary Examiner UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No- 3,616,821 Dated November 2, 1971 Invent0r(s) Paul meraon et a1 It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the heading to the printed specification, after line 12, should read said Emerson, said Oatfield, said Eneelman and said Bartee assignors to Monsanto Company, Sta Louis, Missouri, a corporation of Delaware Signed and sealed this 26th day of December 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GO'I'TSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents RM PO-1050 [10-691 u.s. eovumuwr nmmuo omc: nu o-au-su. 

